Universal Pictures Breaks Own Box Office Records

Universal Pictures has made an announcement today that they hit a record global box office tally in 2008, thanks to films like "The Incredible Hulk," "Mamma Mia!" and "Wanted." The total money brought in is $2.834 billion.

NBC Universal, said its domestic box-office tally of $1.12 billion outpaced its previous 2007 record of $1.099 billion, while its international box-office surged 66% to $1.714 billion from $1.034 billion in 2007.

The studio said it released four films that grossed more than $100 million domestically, including "The Incredible Hulk", "Wanted", "Mamma Mia!" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

Three comedies, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", "Baby Mama" and "Role Models" were also profitable, grossing more than $60 million apiece.

"Mamma Mia!" was the studio's biggest earner of 2008, both earning $144 million domestically and $428.5 million internationally.

Mamma Mia! made like half a bill worldwide. Wanted only cost 75 to make and made over 340 worldwide. The Mummy couldn't make back the 145 mills they spent on it in domestic box-office sales, but it rallied worldwide to end up with almost 400 million. The Hulk, which WP sites as the forerunner, not only lost money domestically, but it made less worldwide. It earned the least money, by far.